


Heathens

by GreatDane



Category: Bring Me The Horizon, Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang World, Drama, F/M, Fanfiction, Gang Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-16 22:49:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8120557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreatDane/pseuds/GreatDane
Summary: Lilly Joseph, daughter of the infamous Tyler Joseph, is not living the average life of a 13-year old girl. Her father is the head of a violent gang called Heathens, whose business revolves around smuggling drugs and stolen goods. His posse includes his next-in-command, Josh Dun, and security guards whose main job is to protect Lilly. Up until now that hasn't been an impossible task - their reputation runs miles ahead, and everybody knows not to mess with them. Until, one day, somebody does.





	1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

“Lilly, get down from there,” my mom scolded, quickly wiping down her hands on the apron tied around her waist before grabbing my tiny frame from the kitchen counter and setting me down safely on the tiles. “But momma,” I whined. “Nuh-uh, baby.” I pouted and crossed my arms in childish anger as she tapped my nose. “Dinner’s in half an hour.” As she went back to cooking, my mocha eyes scanned the kitchen for another route to the cookie jar on the top shelf. I seized my chance as my mom turned her back to me and made a quick run for the barstool again - only, this time, I was picked up halfway. “Nooo,” I squealed, wiggling around in the tattooed arms I’d come to know as my uncle Josh’s. “I don’t think momma wants you to do that, baby,” he spoke as he maneuvered me around to be more comfortable in his grip. “Oh, hey, Joshua,” my mom greeted, giving him a quick one armed-hug with a bag of carrots still in her hand. Sometimes my mom would jump in surprise and reprimand him when he sauntered into the kitchen unannounced like that, but my 4-year old mind, however, had quickly deducted that he lived with us, even though he didn’t, simply because he came around so often. 

“Smells good, J.” My mom merely hummed in response, her attention on the stove once more, and I wiggled impatiently around in his arms. “Put me down,” I ordered, pouting. Josh chuckled before reaching over to make me sit on his back. “Nah. I think you’d make a pretty sweet backpack.” I erupted in a fit of giggles, clinging tightly to his neck as he began running around the living room, mimicking the sounds and movements of a horse. “Be careful!” my mom hollered, and he slowed down the tiniest bit. I began tugging on a tuft of his bright red hair, pointing towards the glass door leading to the patio. “I wanna go outside, Jish.” His shoulders slumped as he sighed in defeat, but he did as I said. “As you will, princess.” 

Our giant garden was vast with a large playground tucked into one of the corners (a birthday present from my grandpa) and a luxurious patio wrapped around the house. In another corner was a pool, which I had been strictly ordered to stay away from - one of the few rules my parents had never budged on, despite all of my numerous pouts and tantrums. Josh rode me over to the swing-set, where he put me down in the cool sand. I immediately went to climb onto the highest one, my chubby knees slipping on the silken dress I was wearing, but with a small boost from my uncle, I managed. “Now push me.” Josh raised an annoyed eyebrow and folded his arms across his broad chest. “You’re beginning to sound a lot like your dad, you know. Ordering people around a lot. It’s not very nice.” I stuck out my bottom lip and gave him the best puppy-eyes I could manage. “Please, uncle Jishwa. Please.” His sour expression cracked before I’d even said the second ‘please’, as I knew it would, and he went to place his hands on my back. “As if there’s anything I wouldn’t do for you, princess.”

Then it happened. The glass-shattering sound of a trigger being pulled sounded, resonating all through our property and sending a flock of birds into flight from their nests in the trees. I instinctively held my hands over my ears as Josh rushed to pick me up and run further away from the house, dialing my dad in the process. My heart fluttered, seemingly trying to escape the restraints of my ribcage. “What’s happening?” I asked, clinging tighter onto him in search for comfort. “Where’s momma?”

He didn’t reply. He just tightened his grip and ran out into the street where a black Range Rover with tinted windows was parked, its door already opened. I was quickly passed into the outstretched arms of a man I’d seen only a few times at my dad’s office. Another man in the front seat passed Josh what I now know was a gun, which he quickly cocked and tucked into the waistband of his skinny jeans before bolting back towards the house. “Jish!” I screamed, struggling against the stranger’s arms, but he was already gone. The doors were abruptly slammed shut, and the tires squealed against the asphalt. I remembered the smell so vividly. The smell of burnt rubber mixed with the cologne of strangers who weren’t my dad or Josh or my mom. My palms were pressed against the surface of the glass as I tried desperately to keep our house within my line of sight, but it was an impossible task. It was gone.

…

The men drove us far away from my home to a large building I hadn’t seen before, and the stranger kept me in his arms as they walked straight into the elevator and rode it to the highest floor. I’d stopped asking questions a long time ago, since nobody was willing to answer. I just hoped my mom and Josh were okay. The men brought me into a fairly empty room, furnished only with a TV and a couch, where another man was already sitting. “Keep her company until the boss comes.” The man nodded and patted the space next to him on the couch, but I didn’t want to join him. I just wanted my mom. And my dad. So instead, I opted for the wooden floor, where I sat and leaned against the wall, wrapping my arms around my knees. The stranger remained silent. The minutes ticked by, each second announced clearly by a clock hanging above the door, to which my eyes were glued. I was mildly aware of the way my tight ponytail pulled on my scalp, and I reached up to remove the hairband and fiddle with it. Half an hour passed with no news, and I hesitantly got up on my knees before joining the man on the couch, where I caught my bottom lip between my teeth. “Where’s dad?” I finally asked, praying that this one wasn’t as allergic to giving answers as the others seemed to be. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards in what was surely meant to be a comforting smile, but what resulted in a seemingly strained and professional one. “He’s on his way, sweetie. It won’t be long.”

That was a lie. The next hour seemed to drag on and on at a snail’s pace, which I spent doing nothing but stare at the wall and taking turns between nibbling on my bottom lip and my nails. When my dad finally burst through the door my heart leapt into my throat, and I ran straight into his awaiting arms and tucked my tear-stained face into the crook of his neck. “Where’s mom?” I whispered. The tension between the three men in the room was palpable, and I couldn’t help but notice the way my dad’s usually strong shoulders were shaking. I glanced up to see Josh standing by the door, a heart-broken expression marring his features. 

“She’s gone, baby. She’s gone.”


	2. Chapter 1

9 years later

Chapter 1 

The chill of the November air was starting to get to me. Even with a thick coat, laced up boots and a fuzzy beanie tucked over my ears, the cold was rattling my bones. As my teeth chattered, I couldn’t help but long for the perpetually warm winters that graced our lives back in California. But now we lived in England - a sudden, drastic change I was never able to wrap my head around before it actually happened. Dad had said it had something to do with business. Not that I was surprised, really. Everything that happened in our lives seemed to be a side effect of business. My brows furrowed at the thought, and I tightened the grip on the leash in my hand as our dog, Sam, tugged on it. Being 13 was not something I enjoyed in that particular situation; being able to understand and suffer under the consequences of my dad’s choices, but not being old enough to actually have a say. “I’m never gonna get used to this weather.” I glanced up at the shivering man walking beside me and offered him a slanted smirk as I saw the way he rubbed his upper arms in an attempt to get warmer. At least I wasn’t the only one.

“Well, what can you do? It’s not like dad’s gonna let us move back to Cali,” I muttered. The bitter twinge in my voice didn’t escape Brendon’s attention, and a cloud of steam left his lips as he sighed. “You really can’t blame your dad for doing the things he does. Even if you don’t believe it, he really does know what’s best. For everyone.” I averted my gaze to the snow-clad ground as I quietly mulled over the words I’d heard a thousand times before. Everyone kept saying that. ‘He knows what he’s doing’, ‘it’s for your own safety’, ‘you’ll understand when you’re older’. As if those words were meant to be comforting. But, I straightened my spine as I decided this wasn’t the time and place for another pointless argument, and shot him an apologetic shrug. “I’m sorry. It’s just… hard, I guess.” It was quiet between us, save for the snow crunching beneath our boots, as Brendon slung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “I know, kid. But we’re here to make everything a little more fun,” he joked, reaching up to ruffle my hair. 

I rolled my eyes to the back of my skull before swatting his hand away. “Stop that. I’m not 5 anymore.” “You’re never too old for some brotherly love,” he countered, and I chuckled as I bumped my hip into his. “You’re not even my brother, Brendon. You’re, like, 50.” We locked eyes for a moment before breaking into a warming laughter that made the cold a little more bearable. “Excuse me?” I lifted my hands in mock-surrender and said a quick: “What can you do? I didn’t decide the year you were born.” I kept my eyes on him a little longer, trusting Sam not to lead me into a tree or a frozen lake, before adding: “Buy me some hot chocolate and I’ll put you at 35.” “Deal.”

…

When we made it home, the Sun was already beginning to set, and it was no later than 5 in the afternoon. I shrugged off my coat and toed off my boots before following Sam into our dark living room, which was illuminated only by the burning fireplace. “Where is everyone?” I asked Brendon, who was still hot on my heels. “I don’t know,” he answered, quickly mimicking my movements before throwing himself onto the couch. “Business, probably.” “Ah. I should have known.” He waved me off, which I took as my cue to leave. I traipsed the stairs to my room, throwing a quick “call me when dinner’s ready” over my shoulder, and went straight for my bed. The covers were cold, but comforting, and I clutched the pillow in my grip as I turned to stare at the blank ceiling. 

This was normally the time where my thoughts would cloud my vision, where my brain would come up with every and any possible situation my dad could have gotten himself into while I just sat around at home, but I clutched the collar of my brain in a tight grip and pulled it together. Crying did make everything better, but it also made me feel weak. And I hated that feeling. So I discarded the pillow with a little more force than necessary before twisting the golden knobs and opening the glass doors that led to my balcony. I was met with a freezing swoop of air that rose goosebumps on my skin, but I merely pulled my cardigan tighter around me before wiping off a small layer of snow and hopping up onto the marble ledge. Tiny speckles of snow were falling from the sky, collecting beautifully in a nice layer on our yard. This was my go-to place, if I ever found myself without anything to do - which was, honestly, quite often. It was the perfect place to clear my head and inhale the fresh air. As I sat there, merely relishing in the feel of the wind toying with the free tufts of my hair and chilling my skin, it felt like time wasn't moving at all.

“Lilly?” I twitched in surprise as my name was called behind me, and I turned to see my dad standing in the doorway, a frown on his face. “Oh, hey, dad,” I answered, jumping down from the ledge in one swift movement. “What are you doing outside when it’s snowing? And without a jacket? You’re gonna get sick!” he rambled, and I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent myself from telling him that I was actually old enough to make my own decisions - a statement he didn’t exactly agree with. Before I got a change to reply, he grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me inside, ruffling my hair to get rid of the snowflakes. “When did you get home?” I asked, finally grabbing his tattooed wrist to prevent him from cleaning me up any further. He shrugged himself out of my hold. “Just now. Have you done your homework?” I sighed and nodded, gesturing towards a messy pile of paper stacked on top of my desk. “Good,” he said, nodding. “Clean yourself up and come down for dinner.” “Yes, daddy.” He kissed the top of my head before leaving my room. 

As he left, I took a quick glance in the mirror by my door, frowning at my appearance. My cheeks and nose were rosy, and my hair and clothes were ruffled by my dad’s affections. A few snowflakes were still in my eyelashes. I quickly freshened up before running downstairs and taking a seat at the dark, mahogany dinner table, where the others were already situated. Dad was sitting at the head of the table, as always, while I sat on his right and Josh sat on his left. The latter shot me a smile as I slid into my seat. Brendon sat next to me, and across from him sat a man I hadn’t seen before. Usually it was just the 4 of us, and it was highly unusual for my dad to invite guests over - especially when those guests were one single man I had never seen before. I kept a suspicious eye on the stranger, caressing the silver knife with my fingertips, as the others dug into their dinner. “You have to be careful around him, though. He ain’t one to be messin’ around with,” the stranger said, to which my dad merely flattened his lips into a sarcastic smile. 

“So I’ve heard.” I kept my eye on my dad as he folded his arms professionally on the table, straightening his spine. “What I’m more interested in knowing, however… is whether or not you can be trusted.” Josh and Brendon’s eyes were on him as well, but he didn’t seem too bothered by the attention. He put down his cutlery. “I can see why you’re reluctant to trust me. I mean, I used to be one of Oli’s best men and all, but… allegiances change,” he spoke, taking his time to look each of the men around me in the eyes. Josh folded his arms across his chest before leaning back into his chair. “That they do.” For a moment the silence was only broken by our forks and knives scraping against the plates, and I shuffled uncomfortably in my seat. “Who’s Oli?” I asked finally, too bothered by the palpable tension. All eyes turned to me at the question, and I tucked myself further back in my seat, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “No one,” Brendon answered, sending a pointed glare towards the stranger when he moved to say something. 

“Oli Sykes is not ‘no one’,” he spat, his gaze turning to meet my own. “He’s a man you should be very s-“ “Shut up,” Josh interrupted, and I jumped when my dad slammed his fist down onto the table. “You are not to talk to my daughter unless I give you permission. Do you understand me?” My gaze flickered between the two men anxiously as everyone’s chests began puffing up in agitation. I gulped visibly when the stranger shot me a forced smile. “I’m sorry, love.” The tension all but multiplied tenfold, and I hurried to wolf down the last few bites of my dinner before excusing myself from the table. 

As soon as the men were out of my sight I bolted up the stairs and slammed the door shut behind me, taking a moment to lean against it and catch my breath. When my heart rate was back to normal, I slid down the length of the door and sat down on the wooden floor. What just happened was so out of the ordinary, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Three knocks sounded on my door, followed by Josh’s voice saying: “Can I come in?” I hummed in response, quickly getting on my knees and throwing myself onto my bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, and his cold fingers were wrapped around my ankle as he pulled me towards him. “What?” I mumbled, keeping my eyes closed. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Depends on your definition of ‘okay’.” Josh’s frown deepened, and for a split-second I felt bad for worrying him unnecessarily, so I quickly added: “Well, yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” 

The redhead rolled his shoulders briefly, taking a glance around the room as he formulated his next sentence. “I just mean… I know this whole situation isn’t exactly ideal, and that dinner wasn’t fair on you, so… I just wanted to make sure that you weren't gonna cry yourself to sleep tonight.” I raised an offended eyebrow and leaned over to shove at his shoulder. “Cry myself to sleep? What kind of a wuss do you think I am?” He chuckled deeply, raising his hands in mock-surrender. “I just know that you’re a girl, and I really have no idea how they work, but I guess you have emotions and stuff.” “Emotions and stuff?” I repeated incredulously, eventually chucking a pillow at his grinning face. “You’re an arse.”

“It’s ‘ass’, baby. You’re still American. And stop cursing or I’ll ground you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. And please comment to let me know what you think of this :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Okay, so, I know this whole “gang-thing” is quite (extremely) OOC for both Tyler and Josh, but it was just an idea I had which I thought was cool, and I hope you think so, too! Please let me know what you think of this and whether I should continue or abandon it completely. This is just a prologue, and in the next chapter Lilly is going to be 13, just to make things more interesting. Bye!


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